October 15, 2026
Shifts in the distribution of Earth’s mass have shifted the planet’s axis of rotation by 10 meters over the past century, causing it to wobble and slow its rotation speed. Recent research results show that since 2000, the length of the day has been gradually increasing at a rate of 1.33 milliseconds per century, the fastest rate recorded in the past 100 years.
While the changes recorded throughout the twentieth century were linked to natural climate cycles, contemporary research confirms that human activities have become the main driver of this deviation.
In this context, geophysicist Surendra Adhikari, a participant in the study from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained that human activity has succeeded, in just one century, in influencing the climate system in a way that is directly reflected in the mechanics of the planet’s rotation.
In addition, the study warns that if carbon emissions continue to rise without decisive reduction measures by 2100, the rate of increase in day length may double, reaching 2.62 milliseconds per century. In return, reducing emissions will contribute to reducing this ongoing slowdown.
